EU and Montenegro provisionally close another chapter in accession negotiations

Today, the 25^th meeting of the Accession Conference with Montenegro provisionally closed accession negotiations on chapter 32 (financial control).

I am pleased to see Montenegro closing another negotiating chapter today.With this achievement, a total of 13 chapters have now been provisionally closed, marking significant and tangible progress on the country's path toward European integration. Enlargement remains a strategic geopolitical priority for the EU and a key focus of the Cyprus presidency. I hope we will be therefore able to hold many more accession conferences in the months ahead, not only with Montenegro, but also with other candidates as we continue to advance a credible and merit-based enlargement process.

Marilena Raouna, Deputy Minister for European affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, on behalf of the Cyprus presidency of the Council of the EU

The EU may, if necessary, return to this chapter at an appropriate moment.

Chapters 3 on the right of establishment and freedom to provide services, 4 on the free movement of capital, 6 on company law, 11 on agriculture and rural development, and 13 on fisheries had already been provisionally closed at the previous Accession Conference on 16 December 2025. Monitoring of progress in the alignment with and implementation of the EU acquis will continue throughout the negotiations.

Montenegro has opened all 33 negotiating chapters in its EU accession negotiations. With the provisional closure agreed today, a total of thirteen of these chapters have now been provisionally closed. According to the negotiating principles endorsed by the Accession Conference, agreements reached in the course of negotiations on specific chapters, even partial ones, may not be considered as final until an overall agreement has been reached for all chapters.

Background

The European Union delegation was led by Ms Marilena Raouna, Deputy Minister for European affairs of Cyprus, on behalf of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU, with the participation of Commissioner for Enlargement, Ms Marta Kos. The Montenegrin delegation was led by Mr Milojko Spajić, Prime Minister of Montenegro.

• EU common position regarding chapter 32
• Twenty-fourth meeting of the Accession Conference with Montenegro, 16 December 2025
• Council conclusions on enlargement, 17 December 2024
• Enlargement: new enlargement methodology will be applied to Montenegro and Serbia (press release, 11 May 2021)
• Montenegro (background information)
• How EU enlargement works (background information)

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